Livni’s first stop is in South Korea to meet with the new United Nations Secretary-General, former Foreign Minister, Ban Ki-moon, who officially took up his new position on January 1st.
Ban, who came to Jerusalem in 2005, served as South Korea’s foreign minister from 2004 to 2006. He was the first official in that position to visit Israel.
Thus far, it appears that Ban is not likely to make any radical changes in the world body’s stance on Israel. The new U.N. Secretary-General followed the general line of his predecessor, Kofi Annan in an interview with the South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh late in December.
“If the issues with the conflicts between Israel and Palestine go well, other issues in the Middle East, including Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Syria are likely to follow suit. I will meet with the concerned parties as soon as possible,” he said.
Livni will also meet with her new counterpart, Foreign Minister Song Min-soon and other top officials, according to government sources.
This is the first time an Israeli foreign minister will visit South Korea, a country with which the Jewish State has maintained full diplomatic relations since 1962.
Livni is expected to brief South Korean officials on Israel’s current relations with the Palestinian Authority, the Iranian nuclear threat and the situation in Lebanon.
South Korea has been a firm supporter of the Quartet’s conditions for releasing international funding to the PA: official recognition of the State of Israel, renouncing terrorism and upholding agreements with Israel signed by previous PA administrations.
Economic ties with South Korea are equally strong. Last year, some 300 Israeli companies completed business agreements in the east Asian nation. Livni is also expected to discuss a proposal for two South Korean business giants, LG and Samsung, to open development centers in Israel.
Livni will travel to Japan for a two-day visit following her trip in South Korea.
Japan has been very active in Middle Eastern affairs in the past year. Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who completed his term in office in September, came to Jerusalem in July 2006 and followed up the visit by appointing a special emissary to the Middle East, who has since been to the region 15 times.
The Palestinian Authority has been a major beneficiary of Japan’s largesse, receiving some $100 million per year.
Livni will meet with officials in Tokyo to discuss a number of issues in the diplomatic, economic and military arenas. Israel has a deep interest in broadening its cooperation with Japan, which has an equally deep interest in furthering its involvement in the region.
The Foreign Minister is expected to discuss Israel’s position regarding the implementation and violations of last summer’s ceasefire agreement with Hizbullah terrorists which is outlined in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, as well as the Iranian threat to Israel’s existence and the rest of the world.
Also on the agenda will be a number of economic, research and other cooperative ventures, including Israeli-Japanese cooperation on space research as well as other research and development, and arrangement of direct flights between Tel Aviv and Tokyo.
Ban, who came to Jerusalem in 2005, served as South Korea’s foreign minister from 2004 to 2006. He was the first official in that position to visit Israel.
Thus far, it appears that Ban is not likely to make any radical changes in the world body’s stance on Israel. The new U.N. Secretary-General followed the general line of his predecessor, Kofi Annan in an interview with the South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh late in December.
“If the issues with the conflicts between Israel and Palestine go well, other issues in the Middle East, including Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Syria are likely to follow suit. I will meet with the concerned parties as soon as possible,” he said.
Livni will also meet with her new counterpart, Foreign Minister Song Min-soon and other top officials, according to government sources.
This is the first time an Israeli foreign minister will visit South Korea, a country with which the Jewish State has maintained full diplomatic relations since 1962.
Livni is expected to brief South Korean officials on Israel’s current relations with the Palestinian Authority, the Iranian nuclear threat and the situation in Lebanon.
South Korea has been a firm supporter of the Quartet’s conditions for releasing international funding to the PA: official recognition of the State of Israel, renouncing terrorism and upholding agreements with Israel signed by previous PA administrations.
Economic ties with South Korea are equally strong. Last year, some 300 Israeli companies completed business agreements in the east Asian nation. Livni is also expected to discuss a proposal for two South Korean business giants, LG and Samsung, to open development centers in Israel.
Livni will travel to Japan for a two-day visit following her trip in South Korea.
Japan has been very active in Middle Eastern affairs in the past year. Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who completed his term in office in September, came to Jerusalem in July 2006 and followed up the visit by appointing a special emissary to the Middle East, who has since been to the region 15 times.
The Palestinian Authority has been a major beneficiary of Japan’s largesse, receiving some $100 million per year.
Livni will meet with officials in Tokyo to discuss a number of issues in the diplomatic, economic and military arenas. Israel has a deep interest in broadening its cooperation with Japan, which has an equally deep interest in furthering its involvement in the region.
The Foreign Minister is expected to discuss Israel’s position regarding the implementation and violations of last summer’s ceasefire agreement with Hizbullah terrorists which is outlined in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, as well as the Iranian threat to Israel’s existence and the rest of the world.
Also on the agenda will be a number of economic, research and other cooperative ventures, including Israeli-Japanese cooperation on space research as well as other research and development, and arrangement of direct flights between Tel Aviv and Tokyo.